Oregon Swallowtail Chrysalis -- Papilio machaon
Check back in November 2023. We expect to have diapausing stock this year.
***Overwintering pupae. Keep cool on a natural light cycle, and fridge per overwintering blog instructions at Thanksgiving.
****SHIPPING only to OR, WA, ID and MT****
The official state insect of Oregon, this is a fairly common butterfly if you know where to look, but rarely numerous in the Columbia River Basin. This species thrives in east side desert habitats and basalt canyons along streams, springs and rivers.
There are several broods within the region, with the last overwintering as pupae in September/October to eclose (hatch) as fresh adult butterflies in April/May.
We farm these all summer long, for both specimens and wild release. It's one of our favourite butterflies :)
Item Details:
- You will receive one Oregon Swallowtail chrysalis, inspected for quality and weight before shipping.
- Chrysalis is overwintering, eclosing (hatching) in spring 2024.
- We guarantee shipping a live chrysalis. Because this is a live animal, there are no other guarantees after shipment.
- We recommend ordering two (2) or more chrysalids, as occasionally one won't make it through. This is rare, but does occur in nature from time to time.
General Directions:
- Keep inside in a pop-up tent/rearing cage (also available on our site).
- Mist every few days, as inside air is quite dry.
- At the end of November if the chrysalis hasn't hatched, place in a sealed container lined with paper towel and into the refrigerator at 38F.
- Check chrysalis monthly for mold. Remove any moisture buildup in the container if present, then seal right back up and put the container back in the fridge.
- Chrysalis needs a minimum of 90 days in the refrigerator before removing to eclose (hatch). Longer is fine, and it's recommend to remove about 2-3 weeks before these butterflies naturally fly in spring. This equates to removing from cold storage around the end of April.
- Upon removing from the refrigerator, place in a pop-up tent on paper towel and mist daily.
- There are many resources and online groups to handle questions about live butterflies and pupae care. Send us an email if you get stuck :)
More in depth instructions and discussion:
